Bakugan Baby Brawlers
by Newborn Hope
Summary: It's not as humorous as it seems. WIseman kidnaps the brawlers and messes with a time machine but things go haywire and...changes the brawlers! I wont reveal it but unexpected happens! Not too dark and a bit of humour in beginning but as the story progresses...there's angst and emotions and pains as well. Only Shun can save his friends now...
1. Lost in a Chaos

_**HEY EVERYONE! I HERE-BY CLAIM THAT THE IDEA REPRESENTED IN THIS STORY IS ONE OF IT'S KIND! NO OTHER STORY IN BAKUGAN FANFICTION HISTORY IS WRITTEN ON THE BASIS OF THIS IDEA! IT'S UNIQUE AND INCREDIBLY INTERESTING ONCE YOU JOIN ME ON THIS JOURNEY! GIVE IT A GO!**_

_**I'd like to welcome those who reviewed on my previous bakugan fics too and stayed with me. **_

_**And since my final exams are over and I have vacations for SIX months...expect quick updates as long as you review!**_

_**And...the prologue I've added now is rather short coz the theme and plot will be revealed as the story progresses! :)**_

_**Disclaimer: Me no own bakugan, capiche?!**_

_**Bakugan Baby Brawlers.**_

_**Prologue...**_

"_NOOO!" A silver haired man was glaring at his machines and fussing over a group of young children. A huge, red dragon had set his place on fire and his work was demolished. He glared at a certain time machine which was supposed to work correctly but had gone haywire. _

"_Dan...?!" A raven haired teen jumped down from the dragon and looked around, coughing from smoke, "Dan? Runo? Julie? Alice? Marucho?"_

"_Shun? Did you find anyone?" The dragon landed on the ground._

"_Not yet Drago...we have to keep looking." Shun coughed again and tried to see through the soot and dust clouds, "Guys?! Answer me!"_

_All of a sudden, he caught sight of something blue. Assuming it was hair of a certain haos brawler, Shun followed it and soon came across the group of sleeping children. He voice got caught in his throat as he looked at the familiar kids._

_Shun stood there, horrified as a brown haired child opened his eyes and glanced around, looking at Shun in confusion, "Hello?" though it came more like " 'Lo?" due to his drowsiness._

"_Dan?" Shun was glued to his spot. _

_The child nodded, "Who you?" _

_Shun knelt before the boy, finally snapping out of his shock, "Don't you remember me? It's me, Shun." _

"_Shun who?"_

"_Shun Kazami."_

"_Me no know you!" The child announced. _

_Slowly, the rest of the group was waking up as well. And Shun was at a loss of what to do. _

"_Shun?" Drago took a step towards the ninja. _

_The children cowered as Drago approached them, scooting over and hiding behind Shun._

"_Whack him!" A blue haired young girl advised Shun._

"_No Runo..." Shun sighed, "He's our friend. He's gonna help us get out of here."_

"_He bad?" A silver haired girl piped up._

"_Drago is good, Julie!" Shun rolled his eyes._

"_He so big!" An orange haired girl grabbed Shun's arm tightly._

"_I know Alice!" Shun swallowed, trying to take in what had happened._

"_He got wires? Or prints? Or screws?" A small blond boy became curios._

"_No!" Drago stepped back, "I'm real!"_

"_He mine!" Dan declared._

"_Yes Dan..." Shun breathed, "He's yours." _

_,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,_

_**Bakugan Baby Brawlers.**_

_**Chapter 1: Lost in a Chaos. **_

Shun pinched the bridge of his nose before calling the first _female _person which came in his mind.

In a few moments, his call had been received in a drowsy voice, "Hello?"

"Fabia, I need your help."

"What? What's wrong Shun?" Fabia's voice became concerned, "You sound a little upset."

"Understatement of the year." Shun rubbed his temple to get rid of an untimely head-ache.

"I'm listening." Fabia took out a pen and paper, just in case something important was needed to be written down. But with Shun calling him at _that _time of the night, things didn't look so good.

Shun took a deep breath, "Okay...we had a little... accident. And now I don't know how to settle this!"

Fabia raised a brow as she heard the crash of breaking glass in the background of the Ventus brawler's voice, "Go on."

"So...you see..." Shun mentally groaned at the situation before glaring at the person who had broken the glass, "Wiseman...kidnapped the brawlers...everyone except for me, because I had been training out in the mountains while that happened."

"Mhm..." Fabia nodded seriously. "Anyone hurt?"

The teen sighed, "Not...yet. So...the thing is..." This was getting so hard to describe, "He did some weird experiment, messing with the time. It was meant to take the brawlers back in time or something. But...it went...a bit wrong."

"Oh my..." Fabia brushed her hair on the side with her hand, "Don't tell me they're lost somewhere in realms of time!"

"No...they came back...more like me and Drago brought them back from Wiseman's territory. But..."

"Shoon!" A silver haired young girl, around the age of three or four years pulled at Shun's jacket, "Me want make-up!"

"No Julie..." Shun sighed irritably, "It's _Shun, _not _Soon..._And no make over! Till you _grow up_!"

"Um...Shun?" Fabia cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Oh...right, sorry." Shun shook his head, blocking out all the commotion behind him, "Okay...let me get to this straight. Wiseman'sExperimentTurnedTheseGuysIntoFreakingKids!"

"Whoa...slow down, will you?!" Fabia couldn't catch a single word, "Repeat what you said...in _English_!"

"Wiseman's experiment turned these guys into little kids! And now I don't know how to deal with this!" Shun ground out.

Fabia blinked...was her hearing giving out?! , "You're joking, right?!"

"Not. On. My. Life!" Shun pronounced each syllable separately, proving how serious the situation was...for him, anyway.

"Okaaay...You sure you're not dreaming? You have a fever? Not getting much sleep lately?" Fabia began to doubt the ventus brawler's mind state.

"I'm serious!" Shun brought his fist down on the table, scaring a young blond boy who was sitting there, joining some wires of some sort, "For heaven's sake Marucho! Not another darn computer chip!"

He took the wires from the now protesting blond, throwing them out of the window before shifting his attention back on the phone, "Look, I'm not joking. You know me. Just...just...believe me!" He narrowed his eyes in annoyance as he spotted a certain brunette trying to open the fridge by standing on the marble counter, "Dan!" He growled at the small boy, not more than four years old, "Get down from there!"

"Tummy hungy!" Dan made a face.

"I don't care if you're hungry! Just...stay away from the fridge! Go play somewhere!" Shun literally begged to the young boy.

Dan grumbled before poking out his tongue at the ninja and Shun felt blood rushing through his ears as he went, grabbed the small boy from around his waist, picked him off the counter, earned himself a kick on knee and almost threw the brunette on the couch, all the same time, holding the phone to his ear.

Glaring at the now sulking boy, he took deep breathes to calm himself, "Now do you believe me?!"

"Fine...so..." Fabia was at a loss of what to do, "So..."

"So..."

"So..."

"So..."

"Stop it!" The girl snapped at the teen, "Okay...um...look...just stay calm. I'll ask Ren to set up the portal and I'll come over for a while. Let me first see this...mess you've gotten yourself into!"

"I'll appreciate it." Shun couldn't help but feel a bit relieved, "Just...hurry!"

"Sure, see you soon then."

Pocketing the phone back, Shun looked around, glued to his spot. He felt like standing in a trash can!

Papers... packets... coloring utensils... ribbons... half eaten foods... peels... shoes... clothes... spilled milk and juice and water...

flowers... dirt... muddy grass... comics... what wasn't there?!

"What the heck..." The teen mused to himself before scanning the place for _baby _brawlers.

He soon spotted Julie having a tea party with...Drago. Next, he saw Marucho examining the LCD TV situated on the wall with interest, holding a plastic toy screw driver in hand. Then came some yelling sounds and he groaned before sprinting to the corner the sound had come from. And...he stood there, one eye twitching in annoyance as Runo attempted to bite Dan's arm who was holding her doll.

"Dan! Runo! Away from each other!" The irritated teen threw his arm around the girl's waist before pulling her away from Dan. When this wasn't sufficient, he had to hold Dan with his other arm, "Stop it!"

Putting Runo down, yet keeping Dan in the air, he tried to take the doll from him, "Give it back! Boys don't play with dolls!"

The brown haired boy had...some anger management issues which he proved to the older teen by biting him sharply on the wrist of the hand trying to pull the doll away from him.

Shun gritted his teeth in pain, trying to shake the boy's grip off him as he felt a few drops of blood sliding down the damaged area. "No food for you!"

Dan immediately let go of the small thing which Shun handed to Runo, ushering her in Julie's direction, "Go play there!"

As Runo skipped over to the tan girl, Shun turned to the brown haired boy he was still holding, "Dan..." Gosh, this was weird! "Good...brawlers...don't hit girls!"

"What's 'bawler'?" Dan looked at the teen in confusion.

"Right..." Shun muttered, "A...brawler...is a good guy...who..." He suddenly caught sight of the comics, "Who beats the bad guys and saves the world!"

"Really?! I wanna be a 'bawler' then!" Dan bounced in the Ventus brawler's hold.

"Sure. Now go away." Letting go of the boy, the Ventus brawler rubbed his wrist, looking at the teeth marks as he tied his handkerchief around it temporarily. Shun came in the kitchen, thinking about having a cup of green tea when he saw a particular young orange haired girl trying to sit on the stool as she stood on her tip toes, slender arms straining to pull her up the seat. Sighing, he went over and helped her up.

Alice smiled sweetly at him before converting her attention back to the container of milk she was trying to pour in a glass.

Shun glared daggers at the crystal goblet she was planning to drink milk in before snatching it from the table and replacing it with a plastic cup, "Kids...stay away...from delicate things!" He ground out.

Alice looked at the cup...before glancing at the dainty goblet and gazed at the teen, lower lip trembling and _big _tears in her eyes, "No?"

_'Awe come on!' _Shun tried his best to ignore the facade of innocence as he searched for a sachet of green tea. A sniff caught his attention and as he turned around, he wished he hadn't. For there sat Alice, lower lip stuck out, eyes narrowed and bawling, little nose going red as huge tears splashed on her tiny fists clenched tightly in her lap.

Dragging his feet over to where the little girl sat, he knelt so he was at eye level with her, "Alice, listen. The glass is sharp. It could cut right through your hand. This cup is better..." Shun swallowed, never in a million years had he thought he'd be doing this, "I promise, when you _grow up, _you'll have as many goblets as you'd like!"

"Really?!" Alice rubbed the sleeve of her silky night gown over her eyes.

"Yes, really. So for now, just...do as you're told to!" Shun finished the speech of condolence over the girl's loss before going over to rummage through the cabinets to find the herbal tea.

Alice hopped off the stool, the milk forgotten and went to find the other girls. Unlike others, she wasn't much fussy but could get angry if denied of what she wanted.

Shun caught sight of a spectrum portal opening up in the porch through the window and forgetting the tea, he went outside to greet the Neathian princess.

Fabia stepped out of the portal, looking around. The building looked _okay _from the outside. She caught sight of a familiar ninja teen panting slightly as he approached her.

"Yo!" Fabia waved before giving him a friendly hug.

"Hey..." Shun exhaled in relief, "thanks for coming."

"No prob!" Looking the teen from head to feet, Fabia blinked. Never had she seen the raven haired boy in such a messy condition. Raven haired were scattered and topaz eyes had a reddish tint to them. His normal attire...his posture...everything showed tiredness.

"Shun?" Fabia glanced at the handkerchief tied roughly around the teen's wrist, "You're a mess!"

"Thanks for the news flash." The teen grumbled.

Fabia gently touched his tied up wrist, "What's this? I thought you said no one was hurt."

Shun trudged beside her as they made their way over to the entrance, "Dan bit me."

Fabia tripped on her own feet before spinning around completely to see him, "Seriously?!"

Shun nodded solemnly before leading her to the doorway.

Stepping inside the hall, the princess almost tripped again over a small body. Looking down, she opened and closed her mouth several times...being at a loss of words at the sight of a _four _years old Dan hiding. Well, he wasn't actually hiding. He was in a sort of crawl like position with his head buried in his arms that rested on the carpeted floor.

"Um...is that...Dan?!" Fabia stole a side way glance at Shun.

The teen sighed before going to stand right in front of the young boy's head, "Dan?"

"_Chich!" _

Shun's eye twitched at the funny, yet irritating sound the boy made, "Excuse me?!"

"_Chhiiichhh!_" This time, the syllable held emphasis.

"What the heck?! Get off the floor kid! Don't make me wipe it with you! Someone could easily step on you the way you're taking a nap here!" Shun glared at the brunette.

This time, Dan lifted his head to regard the teen, "I say, _chhich!_"

"What does that mean D-Dan?!" Fabia was having a hard time in controlling her laughter now.

Dan pouted, "How should I know?! Older people say it so many times if they want me to be quiet!"

"He's...He's shushing you Shun!" Fabia began to laugh endlessly.

Shun stood there, eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Off. The. Floor. Now!"

"No! _Chhiiich! _I'm in a hide from _her!" _Dan pushed his head in his arms again.

"Fine! Be that way! No lunch for you!" Shun steered Fabia in the direction of the living room as she struggled to breath after her laughing attack.

She did however forgot to smile when she saw the condition of the room, "Oh...my...gosh!"

"Told you." Shun sighed before going over to make some space on the couch where Runo, Julie and Alice had played dress-up. He looked around, just checking as usual when he caught sight of some colorful wires sticking out of a huge wrist watch...and a _certain _blond boy sitting beside it, examining the wires from over his glasses.

"Marucho!" Shun snapped, startling the boy out of his reverie, "What did I tell you about checking out the electronics?!"

"Me don't know! Do you know?!" The young boy replied happily, throwing a cheeky smile at Fabia who was laughing hard, sitting on the couch.

Shun face-palmed before pulling the blonde boy up in the air by the neck of his sweater, "Be like that and you'll have to use glasses bigger than your head!"

"Why?!" Marucho's eyes widened.

"Because I said so!" Shun placed the boy down on the floor cushions and went to see what Alice was drawing on...an instruction manual of the security system Keith had accidentally left behind before he and Mira left for New Vestroia to see Ace and Baron.

Shun made no move to save the instruction guide and just collapsed on the couch beside a hysterically laughing Fabia, "You do realize you're not breathing." The ninja pointed out calmly.

Fabia tried to stop her fit, "Oh...man! I never expected to see the brawlers...in this shape. And to see you...as a babysitter!"

"Don't call me that!" Shun glared at the now giggling princess.

Fabia took deep breaths to calm herself before becoming serious, "Right. Sorry about that. Couldn't help it." She straightened before looking at the slumped teen beside her, holding his head in his hands, "So...this is...an awkward situation."

"What am I supposed to do about it?!" Shun lifted his head to glance at her, "They're so...they don't know anything! They didn't even know who I was! They're still living in their time. All they know is how to give me a headache!"

Fabia gave the teen a sympathetic look, "Will you calm down?! Relax Shun...we'll figure out something. First, let's fix this wrist of yours...just to see that Dan hasn't turned you in a vampire or something!" She added with a sly smirk.

Shun sighed as the princess untied the blood stained handkerchief from around his wrist, examining the wound.

"Looks pretty deep." Fabia observed, "I didn't know Dan had such sharp teeth!"

After cleaning the blood with some water, she could clearly see the teeth marks. Bandaging it quickly, she gave it a light tap as Shun winced at the impact.

"Right." Fabia looked around, "Next...let's find the...brawlers."

Shun gratefully began to do as she had said, being thankful for her organized nature.

The two soon found Julie arranging Marucho's blond hair in few small pony tails, Runo drawing _on _Dan's faceand Alice dancing on her bed, jumping and going round and round.

Shun ran a hand through his hair, trying to get his temperament under control whilst Fabia whistled, thinking of a solution.

"So..." Fabia finally decided, "Um...let's get them all in the living room...and clean the rest of the place."

Shun snapped his head up at her plan, "Them?! In the same place?! I want to stay sane for my life!"

"It's not like we have anything better to do, Shun!" Fabia stated.

"Fine..." Shun muttered under his breath as he saw Fabia going over to Julie and Marucho.

Julie looked up at the intruder who was picking up a thumb-sucking Marucho, "My hair!"

"Sorry Jules! These are Marucho's hair now." Fabia released the blond hair from the tight holds of glittery bands, "And...you're coming with me." She took Julie's other hand, almost dragged the girl out of her place and brought them in the living room, "Shun, can you put Marucho somewhere up?!"

Shun looked at the Neathian princess skeptically who had asked him absent-minded, "Um...Fabia?"

"Oh!" Fabia suddenly looked at him, "Sorry! Lost myself for a moment."

Shun nodded reluctantly, "Sure."

As Fabia went to Runo and Dan, Shun entered Alice's section, "Alice, can you come in the living room?"

"No." Alice didn't even pay attention to what he had requested.

"Come. In. the. Living. Room. Now!"

"No!" Alice glared at the teen, "You go there!"

"I will leave once you're there!" Shun's cheeks heated at the girl's stubbornness.

Alice went over to smack his hand away which was coming to stop her dancing. But due to spinning for such a long time, she misjudged the distance, stumbling over the edge of the bed as a result.

Shun tried his best to move and catch the girl which ended in him hitting the side table...hard, the lamp toppling over, and Alice landing on _him _due to which, he couldn't breath for a couple of minutes.

"Shun? Is everything alright?" Fabia peered inside the room, holding Dan by his arm. The boy supported marker mustaches on his face along with a bunny and stars on one cheek and some shapes and alphabets written on the other. Heart shaped outlines around his eyes gave him glasses to complete the make-over.

Unable to answer, Shun reached out to find his bearings to get up. However, he was caught off guard as tiny fists hit his chest...again and again.

"Hey!" He glared at the orange haired girl who was beating him _mercilessly_ with her all might, her eyes filled with tears.

"Alice! Stop it!" Fabia came over to rescue the teen as she tried to pick Alice off him.

"He fall me!" Alice told Fabia, "He pay for fall me!"

Fabia blinked at the little girl's vocabulary, "So...he made you fall?"

A nod answered her.

"And he'll pay for making you fall?"

Another _vigorous _nod promised revenge.

"Get off me!" Shun struggled to get up, trying to breathe.

"Alice, dear, you can have your revenge later but right now, can you please take Dan and go to the living room?" Fabia asked the girl nicely, "We could have snacks together...and you can have cake...and maybe juice...and I'll get you new crayons."

Alice thought over the pros and cons before finally accepting the offer and left, Dan in tow. Well it was more like her, dragging Dan by his collar but whatever.

"You okay?" Fabia helped the teen up who was now testing his ankle warily.

"Never felt better."

Fabia rolled her eyes at the sarcastic remark before leaving the room.

Shun sighed before muttering to himself, "And they call me pro!"

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_**TA-DA! Bet you weren't expecting it! I wasn't expecting it either until the plot came in my mind and became clearer. It's not all humor. There's gonna be seriousness and angst and hurt/comfort and friendships in it too. Any ideas? Suggestions? Opinions? Just tickle the little button you see under the big, blank box! 8D**_

_**Rose out! (some of you may wonder who's Rose! That's me! The name I adapted when I stepped into the world of fanfiction was 'FragrantRose'...) Or I'll go for "B out!" coz my real name starts with B. But now I'll stop rambling.**_

_**Until next time!**_


	2. Warming Hearts

_**Yo! I'm back...with a writer's block...utter lack of inspiration...sadly...unfortunately. However, I'm still updating for my readers and reviewers. Thanks a box of chocolate fudges and a jar of peanut cookies for reviewing! :) **_

_**P.S: Darlings...this writer's block came when I suffered a fracture...which I'm still dealing with...so bear with me...and SEND ME IDEAS TOO!**_

_**Reply to the 'guest' reviewer: Thank you for reviewing. I'm sorry...there's gonna be NO pairing in this story. I don't write such type of stuff. The only reason Shun talks with Fabia is coz she helps him. Alice is just...well...Alice! She's like that with everyone. And since Dan and Shun are best friends...and now the process has been reversed...it's in Dan's...mind that Shun is his friend. Hope it makes sense to you! **_

_**Bakugan Baby Brawlers.**_

_**Chapter 2:Warming Hearts.  
**_

"No! Bad Dan!"

"Me want it!"

"You'll have to wait a few minutes till they're baked completely!"

Shun blinked at the childish argument going on between Fabia and Dan as the young boy tried to reach for the cookies from behind the princess's arm. A tug at his jacket forced him to look down at Alice.

The orange haired girl smiled innocently, "Shon?"

Shun sighed as his his name was massacred once again despite being fairly _simple _to pronounce, "Yes?"

"Please put my hair in pony tail."

Shun was taken aback by the request, "What?!"

Alice nodded, "Me can't sleep with these open." Small arms gestured at her wild hair.

"Can't you go ask Fabia to do it?! I don't know how to tie hair!" Shun felt his cheeks turn a bit pink as he admitted his failure. It had been ages since he used to tie his hair. Now that he had cut the lengths off...he was quite out of practice.

Alice's big eyes filled with tears, "No?" Her lower lip trembled as if Shun had committed some unforgivable crime.

Shun groaned. He didn't want to burden Fabia when the Neathian princess already had her hands full. Baking different types of cookies for the young brawlers...cleaning the mess they made while playing, although Shun helped her in that as much as he could but still..., "Get me your elastic band."

The young girl held out her tiny hand, a plain purple band clutched in it. Shun gingerly took it and examined his mission. Alice helpfully turned around for the teen to tie her hair in a pony tail.

"Right..." The Ventus brawler mused to himself, kneeling behind her.

Reaching out hesitantly, he gathered strands of orange hair from the girl's left shoulder. Keeping a firm grip on them, he took hair from other side, trying to be gentle so to not cause pain. Once all hair were in his hand, he searched for the elastic band, he had placed down.

Alice shook her head wildly, "No!"

This caused Shun to lose his grip on the hair, and they were scattered open once again, "No what?!"

"Me no pony tail!" The little girl announced, "Me want...braid!"

"Braid..." Shun trailed off, looking at the girl skeptically. Since when was he her personal hair stylist?!

"Yes...please?" Alice pouted.

"Fine...but no moving till I'm done." Shun couldn't help but smile a bit as the girl beamed at him and turned away once again.

He knew how to braid hair since his late mother usually kept her hair braided and had done it in front of him many times.

Pushing the memory away, he gathered the hair again and divided them into three portions.

…

Fabia bit back her chuckle as she witnessed the cutest sight ever...a stoic ninja...braiding hair of a young girl. Twice she saw the teen making a wrong move which caused him to repeat the process but it was still cute, never-the-less.

She quickly turned as she remembered she had left the cookies un-guarded. The princess barely had time to stop Dan from opening the oven. Pulling the young boy to sit with Marucho (after taking the remains of what used to be a TV remote from the young blonde) she sighed in relief and went to set the table.

…

Shun pursed his lips in concentration as the hair were _almost _done in a braid. Thankfully, he finished up quickly and secured the ends with the purple elastic band he had been graciously blessed with. The result of his effort was neater then he had thought. Alice turned around, throwing him a cheeky smile. A few stray strands of hair brushed her forehead and cheeks and she giggled at the ticklish feeling. Shun was about to stand from his kneeling position when a tiny hand reached out.

Blinking in surprise, he allowed the small hand to feel his hair, which roughly framed his cheeks. He was more startled when Alice gave him a peck on his cheek before skipping away, "Thank you."

Fabia entered the room to call them for lunch but was taken aback when he saw the small gesture and a hint of a blush on Shun's cheeks. Laughing under her breath, she pulled Shun up to stand, "Come on...have a snack with us, Mr. Emo!"

Shun snapped out of his reverie and frowned, "I'm not emo!"

"Sure..." Fabia rolled her eyes before going over to get the girls for lunch.

…

At the table, Dan and Runo got into tons of fights when the brunette tried to steal cookies from the girl's plate or when Runo stepped onto his foot. Eventually, it got too much and Fabia made Shun sit between the two with Alice sitting on other side of Runo, while she attempted to convince Julie not to force feed the cookie to Marucho. The blonde wasn't very playful and Julie liked to act as if he was her doll or something.

Shun caught sight of a small hand sneaking past him. Sighing irritably, he grabbed it and glared at Dan, "What do you want?"

Dan pouted, "Cookie?"

Topaz eyes pierced the soul of a pile of _twenty _cookies present on the boy's plate, "Finish those first!"

"More cookie!" Dan bounced.

"No! Eat the ones in front of you before having more!" Shun guided the small hand to the plate again.

Dan gazed at his plate. He _needed _more cookies! Sneaking a glance at Runo's plate where she was stacking up a few cookies in a tower, his mouth watered. There was only one route left for him.

Shun choked on his can of soda as Dan crawled into his lap, using him as a bridge to reach the cookies, "Dan!"

…

"I can't believe we made it through a day!" Fabia fell on the couch.

"Yeah..." Shun breathed, collapsing on the cushions across from her but jumped again, pulled out a wrench and a screw driver from behind him, and fell back, sighing.

"So...how are we going to get them back?" Fabia attempted to make a conversation.

"How should I know?!" Shun glanced at the clock tiredly. It was almost midnight, "If you want to sleep, bed room's upstairs."

Fabia nodded, "Better get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be even more tiring."

Getting up, she looked at the teen, "You should sleep too. They'll all be fine."

As the princess left, Shun tried to stifle a yawn before leaving his place and going to his room.

…

Someone was knocking at his door. Shun dimly realized the sound and mentally groaned. Getting out of his bed, the ninja made his way to the door and opened it. He was startled to see a tearful Dan standing there, clutching a pillow tightly, "Dan?"

In response, Dan sniffed and stepped in, hugging his legs.

Barely gaining his balance, Shun looked at the boy, "What's wrong?"

"Th-there was a...a man in m-my ro-room..."

"So?" Shun knelt down at the child's eye level.

"H-he had...kn-knife...a-and r-red eyes..." The boy hiccuped, crying made it harder to talk.

Shun blinked. What was he supposed to do?! Check the boy's room? Comfort him? Let him sleep with him?

"C-can I c-come...here?" Dan looked at the Ventus brawler with hopeful, yet teary eyes.

Shun sighed, "Fine...come on."

He couldn't go wake Fabia since the princess deserved some good night sleep. But suddenly, a question popped in his mind as he lead the child over to his bed, "Dan...why did you come to me instead of Fabia?"

He wasn't expecting Dan to answer but was met with an unexpected response, "You make me happy..."

The teen halted as topaz eyes widened, "Happy?"

"Uh-huh..." Dan nodded sleepily, "Happy...and okay."

"I make you feel...okay..." Shun repeated, stunned by the sudden realization.

Dan snuggled into the comforter, "Night..."

Shun stared at the small lump on his bed in disbelief. No one had ever said that for him. Yet this little toddler complimented that he made them all feel safe.

…

Fabia tilted her head as she saw another adorable scene. She had checked on the young brawlers rooms to make sure they were alright but when she found no trace of Dan, she went to tell Shun about it. However, opening the door, she was greeted by a warm sight. Dan...sleeping peacefully...snuggled in Shun's arm. Shun...face serene in a calm slumber...one arm present around Dan protectively. The comforter was spread over both of them.

She tip-toed in the room and pulled the curtains away from the large glass wall, showing the world outside. It was a bit windy today...perfect for playing outside.

Shun, being the light sleeper he was, snapped open his eyes at the commotion in his room. Seeing it was just the Neathian princess, the teen sighed and fell back on the bed, but jumped again when he felt someone grip his arm tightly. As he looked at Dan, confused as to what in the world could that boy be possibly doing in _his _room, on _his _bed, he blinked the sleep away.

Fabia giggled, "Shun? You awake?"

"Yeah..." Shun exhaled deeply.

"Then would you mind telling me what Dan is doing _on _your bed?"

In a flash, Dan's tear-streaked face appeared in Shun's mind, "He had a nightmare...so I let him sleep here."

Fabia whistled lightly and went to wake Dan up. She still had to make sandwiches for breakfast. Maybe they could go to a picnic today.

_**There ya go! Again, this is NOT yaoi...NOT fluffy...Dan and Shun are NOT going to...ahem...start relationship. It's JUST friendship. **_

_**P.S: It's been TWO days since the brawlers were turned into toddlers.**_

_**R&R and give ideas, peeps! :)**_

_**Rose out!**_

_**Until next time! See ya all in the next chappie!**_


	3. Gentle Little Souls

_**IMPORTANT...!**_

_**I have DECIDED to MENTION the AGES of the BABY BRAWLERS here...**_

_**Shun: 19.**_

_**Fabia: 19. **_

_**Dan: 3 and a half.**_

_**Runo: 3 and a half.**_

_**Alice: 3 and a half**_

_**Julie: 3 and a half.**_

_**Marucho: 1 and a half.**_

_**Technically, I believe Marucho to be younger than the rest, what's with his size...so bear with me!**_

_**So...on with the story! But before that, thanks a bouquet of tiger lilies for reviewing, my readers!**_

_**Bakugan Baby Brawlers.**_

_**Chapter 3: Gentle Little Souls.**_

It was breezy...an ideal weather for playing outside. Fabia realized this fact as she spread different flavors of fruit jam and butters and sauces on slices of bread. Beside her, Alice was watching with interest, feet dangling above the ground since her small legs didn't reach the ground from the height of the counter.

Earlier that morning, the Neathian princess had managed to convince Shun that going out was a good idea. The teen had been reluctant, protesting that the brawlers were too young and...well...naive. However, when Fabia brought up the point of cleaning the mess they used to make while playing inside, the ninja..._had _to agree.

So now here she was, making sandwiches while Alice tasted all the flavors and decided which one should go on which slice. The little girl even attempted to make a sandwich but that ended in her getting flecks of cheese sauce and plum jam all over her face as she tried to work.

In the living room, Shun sighed for the _umpteenth _time that day as Dan and Runo were having a cushion fight...well, it was more like Runo sitting _on _Dan's back -who was on the carpeted floor- and hitting him with a fluffy cushion but whatever. Julie was trying to make Marucho suck a small milk feeder. The small blonde was certainly _not _interested and was constantly kicking his legs on the rug he was sitting on as he became tired.

Shun blinked. This was...disastrous! These kids were going to give him a head ache if he didn't act now. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, the teen reached for Dan's rescue first. He picked Runo off the brunette easily, albeit the girl swinging her legs about wildly as she tried to get away. However, plucking Marucho off the cream colored rug, the Ventus brawler substituted the blonde with the blue haired girl, whom he placed in front of Julie.

Shun was startled as Marucho placed his small arms around the teen's neck, resting his head on the ventus brawler's shoulder. Blinking in surprise as the young blonde began to doze off peacefully in his arms, Shun felt his heart clench a bit. Silently, he threw a glance back at the living room, seeing everyone the way he had left them, he exhaled and made a quick effort of placing the child in an armchair in the farthest corner of the room.

The teen was suddenly pulled out of his train of thoughts as he heard a yelp from the kitchen. Stepping inside, he was once again left to question his sanity as he saw Fabia standing _on _a chair and Alice sitting cross-legged on the counter. Both _ladies _had a terrified expression on their faces.

"What's wrong _now_?!" Shun looked around irritably.

"Th-there's something...b-behind the f-fridge..." Fabia pointed in the direction shakily.

Shun raised a brow. The only thing he could think of that could scare the princess like that was... "Mouse?"

Fabia shook her head negatively, "Something bigger...and _browner_."

"And red too!" Alice piped up.

Ah...so that's what it was. What could be bigger than a mouse...browner than a mouse...redder than a mouse...and could possibly be hiding _behind _a fridge...the place where most of the _food _was kept.

Shun did a quick analysis of the occupants of the living room, confirming his theory. When he couldn't see a _certain _brunette anywhere within the reach of his vision...topaz eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Shun swooped down behind the fridge and a few moments later, appeared back, all covered in dust, coughing, _and _holding the said brunette.

Fabia gaped. How incredulous! She couldn't believe that she was scared out of her mind because of...of...that kid! Alice giggled and tilted her head to a side, gazing at the sight of a dust covered Shun holding an equally dust covered Dan by the back of his jacket as the small boy hung mid air with a sheepish smile.

"Well..." Fabia was at a loss of words, "Both of you need a shower!"

…

Going to a park wasn't that bad of an idea...as long as they kept an eye on the brawlers, Shun reminded himself. Currently, he was sitting on the grassy field, feeling the green blades brush his hands as he leaned back. Wind caressed his hair softly as topaz eyes closed in relaxation.

Fabia was setting the snacks out of the basket for the brawlers while Runo, Julie, Alice and Dan played tag. Marucho was examining the roots of a tree curiously.

"Hm..." Fabia listed off the items, "Let's see...jams...apricot...plum...strawberry...blueberry...apple...marmalade...mixed fruit...cheese sauce...peanut butter...plain butter...salad...eggs..."

Shun turned her rant out.

Runo came over to the ventus brawler after she was tagged three times in a row, "Shwoon?"

Shun exhaled exasperatedly at the syllable, "_Yes_?"

"Could you _whack _Dan for me?"

The teen blinked at the request, "What?!"

The girl nodded, "Yes, please whack him on the stupid head for me."

The serious tone of the small girl made Fabia chuckle, "But Runo, why so?!"

"'Cause he...he..." Runo struggled to remember the reason, "he is _an _donkey with no brain!"

The Neathian princess bursted out laughing, "He's a _what_?!"

"No!" Julie piped up, "He's _my _monkey!" _**(A/N: Anyone got the semi-reference?! A chapter of choice for them! Hint: add a 'man' after the word, 'monkey'...)**_

Alice decided to take part in the...creative conversation as well, "My...teddy bear! And my fish! And my _buggy_!"

"I am my lion!" Dan finally announced, "And I am my...my...that red ball I have with me that Shun have in pocket!"

Drago stuck his head out of Shun's jacket's pocket, "Someone called for me?"

"No Drago...go back to your nap." Fabia beamed at the dragon.

Drago nodded hesitantly and disappeared in the pocket again. Last time when he had been out of this sanctuary, he had ended up in the drain of a bath tub wearing a frilly _pink _ballet dress. This was when he begged Shun to have mercy on his well-being and as a result, the Ventus brawler kept the him in his pocket, along with Skyress.

"Well...I better think about it too..." Fabia took part in the game, "Dan could be my...duck!"

All heads turned toward Shun expectantly.

"What...? Spare me..." Shun sighed as the gazes intensified, "Oh fine...Dan's a...comic!"

"A comic?" Fabia looked at him skeptically.

"Yeah..." Shun nodded, "Dramatical...And book-like."

The princess shook her head with a smile, "You are too much..."

…

It had been five days since the chaos had begun. The young brawlers had somewhat warmed up to Shun and Fabia. Considering it almost a week, they had progressed.

Fabia had somehow stabilized the relation Shun was having difficulty to develop with the kids as much as she could. The ventus brawler was awkward at socializing...especially with young, emotional children. However, the Neathian princess helped him in bonding.

Reflecting the past events, Shun was brought back to reality when his watch beeped. Looking down at the message signal, topaz eyes widened slightly, "Of all the times...he had to choose now?!"

Fabia looked up from where she was filing her nails at the exclamation, "Huh?"

She stood as well when she saw the teen scramble to his feet and leap outside. Following the ventus brawler, she stopped in her tracks.

"Hey there Shun! Thought you could handle a surprise visit!" Keith was standing outside a now closing portal, facing the Ventus brawler, a pleasant smile on his face, "Ah! Princess Fabia...sorry, didn't see you there! What are you doing here?"

"Um...hey!" Fabia greeted as Keith approached the duo.

Shun shook his head mutely. _No_! He certainly could _not _handle a surprise visit at a time of crisis like the one he was going through at that time!

And boy, were things going to get messy _now_...

_**It's short...I know...but had to end it somewhere! Read and enjoy and review peeps! **_

_**Rose out!**_

_**Until next time!**_


	4. Angels in Disguise

_**Hola amigos! Como estas?! (correct me if I'm wrong!) **_

_**Bout time I update, eh?! **_

_**But before that...lemme get it out of me... pfft...MUAHAHAHAAAHAHAAA! So...funny! See, I've been re-watching (for the zillionth time!) bakugan mechtanium surge...in hopes to gain data on Shun by studying his character even more. And then there was this episode...where Shun declares himself the new leader...and those guys who brawl with him...they...they...they call him a freaking DINOSAUR! PFFFT...MWHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA! OH MY BUCKETS! CAN'T STOP LAUGHING! **_

_**And now I need to stop rambling...but sorry for delay...I was...away from home for a while! **_

_**REPLIES TO GUEST REVIEWERS:**_

_**To **__**df0rmidableME: Eh?! Thankies for reviewing! Ah well...that's what we know that Keith can handle kiddies...but the brawlers don't know that...do they?! **_

_**To Hikari: Accept my gratitude on this fine complement! I'm still in one piece...and that's what matters! Ah! I'm not in favor of pairings either...so there are NO pairings in this story...just strong bonds of friendships...so that people of every type can read it.**_

_**To Terrah111: Thanks for reviewing! You're more than welcome to check my other stories since they contain the elements you've mentioned. But...go on and give this fic a chance too! Enjoy!**_

_**Bakugan Baby Brawlers.**_

_**Chapter 4: Angels in Disguise.**_

"So...where are the others?" Keith took a step forward.

"Wait!" Fabia quickly stopped the teen.

Keith looked at her in confusion, "Huh?"

"I...I meant..." The princess stuttered, desperately searching her mind for an excuse, "It's a mess inside! We...I mean, me and Shun have to clean it first before letting you in!"

"So what? I can help..." Keith offered generously, "After all...it wont be the first time I'll see your place turned upside down!"

"No! Give me a sec..." Fabia pulled Shun aside as she whispered, "Now what?!"

The teen shook his head, "No idea..."

"Look...we can either tell him to keep it a secret...or somehow avoid letting him know about it." The Neathian princess glanced at Keith who was now examining the colorful fence of pansies in the huge garden.

"They are going to find out...sooner or later..." Shun sighed, "Maybe we _could _go with the first option. Keeping secrets...isn't easy."

Fabia nodded, "Right..."

But before any of the two could call Keith over and reveal their situation to him, the grand doors opened and out came a tumbling figure, who instantly hid behind Shun, hugging his legs so tight that the teen lost his balance and ended up on the gravelly pathway.

"What the heck?!" Shun wheezed, trying to get the precious air back in his lungs as Dan grabbed his arm in a death grip.

"She say she...she...make me dead!" The young boy exclaimed, tightening his grip.

Keith who was coming to see what the commotion was about forgot to breath, "Wh-what? What's going on?!"

Fabia swallowed...trust Dan to make their situation even _more _awkward, "Well...um...you see..."

"Could someone please explain to me why does that...that boy resembles Dan so much?!"

Shun exhaled deeply, there was no point in hiding it now, "Maybe because he _is _Dan?"

Keith jerked his head up at the ninja's question-like answer, "WHAT?!"

"Calm down, Keith! We can explain!" Fabia quickly took over.

"Who you?!" Dan questioned the Darkus brawler suspiciously, "You are '_thiefoo'_?!" _**(A/N: THIEF+OO, in case some of you wonder about the pronunciation...thief...as in who steals things, etc etc and 'oo'...as in 'Goofy'...etc etc...)**_

"A what?!" Keith's eyebrows practically shot to his hairline at the funny syllable.

"A Thiefoo...who stolled my blankie!"

"Um...excuse me...but I did _not _steal your anything!"

"You stolled it!"

"I did not!"

"You yes!"

"Absolutely, certainly _not_!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"ENOUGH!"

Both heads turned to look Shun who was glaring at them wearily.

"Yeah guys...just what are you implying?! Especially _you_, Keith...mind your age!" Fabia scolded.

"Uh... I...well...jeez!" Keith smiled sheepishly, at a loss of words.

"And you Dan...do _not _argue with those who are older than you!" The princess turned towards the brunette.

"Me 'bawler'! 'Bawler' fight bad man!" The small boy pouted.

"Unfortunately...you never happened to act your age when you were actually grown up...and now that you're acting _your _age...for once, none of us can accept it!" Fabia sighed.

Dan blinked, "But...but Shun say me 'bawler'! Shun say right!"

"I meant that too teach you some manners..." The ninja ground out in frustration.

"And besides...I'm a good guy!" Keith told the brunette, "I'm a brawler too...just like you."

"You is not like me! Me have one red ball in Shun pocket! Do you have?"

Keith struggled to make sense of the child's vocabulary as Fabia whispered, "He means Drago. Shun had to save him from the kids!"

"Oh..." Keith nodded understandingly, "Wait..._kids_?! For how long have you been living with Shun here?!"

"You...YOU IDIOT, SICK-MINDED CREATURE!" Fabia smacked him hard on the head as her cheeks heated, "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"

"Ow! Hey!" Keith glared at her mockingly, "You just talked as if..."

"Zip it Keith..." Shun separated Dan from himself, a faint blush on the teen's cheeks at the blond's comment, "It's serious."

Keith looked up as more foot steps were heard. He forgot to breath -_again_- as he saw a _very _familiar bunch of kids...who just seemed...out of place, "Alright...explain."

And taking a deep breathe, Shun explained.

…..

"A-A-AACHOOO!" Little Alice sniffed and rubbed her eyes which kept closing drowsily. This sucked! She was grounded! And on the top of that...she needed tissues...! Lots and lots of tissue papers!

So deciding to fetch herself the said article, the young girl left her bed and opened the door to the hall way. Entering the living room, she tilted her head at the sight of Fabia patting Shun's shoulder. The teen was sitting on the couch, shaking his head as he held it in his hands.

Alice decided to wait and see what was going on.

"Come on Shun! It wont be that bad...I mean...you've already gained a bit of experience, right?" Fabia sat beside the Ventus brawler, trying to console him.

"I can't do it! I'd probably end up in the mental hospital!"

"Don't say that!" The princess scolded, "Tough it up! Take it as a brawl...a challenge..."

"If it's a challenge..." Shun lifted his head to meet the Neathian princess's gaze, "Then it sucks!"

"Geez Shun! You've got Keith to help you out too. I'm sure he's capable of dealing with the kids since his own sister was a toddler when he had to take care of her!" Fabia gave Keith a pointed look, "Right?"

Keith gulped from where he was leaning against the wall, staring at the duo, "Um...right. In fact, Mira was really moody...and fussy! You never knew what serious sin you had committed unless the girl brought your attention towards it!"

"I'd rather eat a whole jar of pickles then baby-sitting alone!" Shun almost... _almost _whined.

"Oh Shun..." Fabia patted the teen's arm, "You know it's not like I have a choice. Queen Sereena has _ordered _me to come. She says some cases need my immediate attention."

"I know..." Shun muttered.

"So...it's settled then! I'll make sure to stay in contact and if anything unnatural occurs, you know where to find me." Fabia clapped her hands before she finally caught glimpse of orange amongst the crème colored wall, "Alice? What's up?"

The orange haired girl wrinkled her nose, "Roof is up! And then sky is more up!"

Fabia sweat-dropped, "Um...what I meant was...what are you doing here?"

"Want tishoo...!" The small girl pouted.

Now Fabia realized that her voice seemed kinda...deep, "Alice dear...do you have a cold?"

"I'm cold..." Alice nodded.

"No...what I meant was..." Fabia knelt at the girl's level, "Are you...feeling alright?"

The young girl shook her head as she mumbled, "Feel sleepy...and sneezy..."

"Ah..." Fabia rose from her place and turned toward a _certain _irritated teen, "Well Shun...you've got your hands full here! Alice has caught a cold by staying outside for too long!"

Topaz eyes blinked as Shun snapped his hand up, Keith mimicking his action, "What?!"

The princess nodded as she confirmed, "Yep...you've got a sick kid to take care of!"

…

After putting Alice back in bed and giving her some soup under Keith's recommendation, both brawlers said good bye to Fabia as a portal opened, welcoming the Neathian princess back to her homeland.

Once the portal closed, Keith turned with a sigh, "Well...here goes..."

Shun gave him a dry look, "It's so...unreal."

"Are you kidding me?! This is insane!" Keith threw his hands up in the air, exasperated, "But in any case...we should stay calm. Taking care of a bunch of kids shouldn't be _that _hard. We've been through worst."

"Yeah..." The teen muttered sarcastically, "_Much _more worst..."

And facing the dreaded building which currently stored a few angels in disguise, the two prepared to face their doomed fate.

_**Again...sorry for the late update...hope it wont happen again! Read and enjoy and review peeps! I'm so proud of you all for rewarding me with so many reviews! I is happy! X3**_

_**Rose out!**_

_**Until next time! :)**_


	5. Lurking Shadows

_**Hey there! I'm quite in spirits...not. For a few days...I can't eat any crisp/spicy thing...thanks to my dentist. No, I don't support giant braces...his hand slipped a few times while fixing my 'fangs' which lead to some small cuts here and there which sting like heck when I try to eat anything other than jelly or bread or soup!**_

_**Replies to guest reviewers:**_

_**To Terrah111: Lollipops! ^-^ I'm glad you liked 'fighting the fate'...I'm gonna revise that one too...needs a lot of trimming and polishing here and there. And you...you want me to ignore LOLLIPOPS?! This...this is incredulous! Um...second season?! Sure...after I finish this story...I'll whip up something from second season in ma bubbling cauldron of writing! XD Accept peanut butter cookies on reviewing!**_

_**To Megan: Um...thanks for the suggestion...taken in account!**_

_**To Hikari: Haha, I'll admit...I fell for it the second time! XP Accept my gratitude and chocolate fudges on these fine complements! Ah...that...sigh...I regret that too...and to tell you the truth...I never read that story after completing it. I got so many suggestions to end his life that I had to do it! But never the less, have no fear! No one dies in this story! XD**_

_**And well...just thanks to all those who reviewed! Enjoy this chap too! Read and tickle the small button under the big box, peeps!**_

_**Bakugan Baby Brawlers.**_

_**Chapter 5: Lurking Shadows. **_

"Master? What is your next order?"

A cruel smirk played on a half hidden face, "We send them back where they belong."

"H-how do we accomplish that feat, sire?" The hissing continued.

"We bring them back to the base... then teleport them to their time." The evil grin spread further, "I'm not known as Wiseman for nothing..."

A dark chuckle echoed in the cave.

…

"Please?"

"No! It's too chilly outside!"

"Pleeeeassse?!" The syllable held more defiance.

"No!"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeee...-"

"For the millionth time, no! Go bother someone else!"

"Hmph! You're a bad 'bawler'! When my leg is big, I gonna kick you!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!"

Shun raised a brow at the argument between Dan and Keith. The young boy was pleading to go play outside for a while but a storm was approaching...as winds whistled shrilly. They couldn't risk having another sick kid while they already had their hands full.

Keith glanced up to see the skeptical look on the Ventus brawler's face, "Shun, Can you please get it through his head that we'll go outside tomorrow morning?!"

The ninja sighed, bending down at Dan's level, "Dan?"

The small brunette looked up to meet topaz eyes, "Yes?"

"I _promise _we'll go tomorrow."

"Okay!" Dan skipped away to find an activity to occupy himself with.

Keith exhaled in relief and fell on the couch, "Alright... this is the first day...and we aren't doing that much of a progress."

Shun nodded, "As expected."

"Maybe we just need to be more..." Keith trailed off, searching for a better word, "more organized."

"Organized?" Shun glanced at him.

"Yeah..." The Darkus brawler sat up straighter to give Shun a better look over, "Like...dividing our duties...planning ahead...etcetera, etcetera."

Shun gave it a thought, "Hm..."

Keith brightened up visibly, "That way...it'll be easier to take care of them...and look for a way to reverse their states as well. We wont be too much fatigued or stressed either."

"Sounds good." The Ventus brawler had a pensive look on his face. Now that he thought about it, it didn't seem that much of a bad idea.

"Okay...so now...let's make a list of our duties. We can switch them every week." Keith brought a pen and a sheet of paper.

Shun gave him a dry look, "_Week_?! That's a bit too much."

…

An hour later, the list of duties looked as following:

**Shun**:-

_Make sure Marucho doesn't torture any technological stuff._

_Keep Dan away from the fridge._

_Keep an eye on Dan and Runo's arguments._

_Gather everyone for food._

_Protect Drago's ball form._

_Help Keith in cleaning the rooms of kids. _

_Look out for possible solutions to return the brawlers back to normal._

**Keith**:-

_Cook whatever is eatable and/or available for the others._

_Help Shun in cleaning the mess the kids make while playing._

_Keep a check on house supplies if anything needs to be restored._

_Take care of sick Alice._

_Watch out for out door activities._

_Keep peace between the inhabitants of the place._

_Look out for possible solutions to return the brawlers back to normal. _

With their work distributed, their duties finalized, both teens prepared to jump in the battle field, armed with house supplies.

…

"Have you done what I ordered you to do?"

"Yes master...we have spotted them. They're still at the brawler's hideout."

"Is that so?" The man raised a brow in amusement, "And how are they...coping?"

"Apparently, that ninja is looking after them, sire."

"Ninja? _Shun_...you say?" The man frowned.

"Yes...the one with Ventus attribute...and Skyress."

"I know who he is!" Wiseman snapped before pacing around, "So if _he _has taken responsibility..." He turned toward his bakugans with an evil smirk, "Looks like I'll have to dirty my hands with blood, after all."

…

Keith glanced outside the window at the pouring rain as Alice sucked on the end of spoon, enjoying the soup. The young girl felt much better now, except for the fact that she just wanted to stay in bed, claiming herself to be a 'princess'.

"Come on Alice, hurry up. I've got work to do." Keith chided gently when the girl kept sucking at the piece of carrot on the spoon, half asleep.

"Me no eat this...this...shoopy! 'Pincess' eat cake...and ice cream...and chocolate...and candy. And 'pincess' do coloring in bed!" Alice pouted, fed up of living on soup for two days.

Keith sighed, putting the spoon back in the half-full bowl, "Yes...but princesses are good girls. A princess listens to what she's told to do...and finishes her meal before playing!"

"But...but...I don't want no more...I play... you are bye bye!"

The Darkus brawler took a deep breathe, counted to ten...then to twelve when that didn't work, and looked at 'her highness', "Fine...I'll put the bowl on your night stand. Whenever you are hungry, you can eat it up."

Leaving the humming girl to herself, he left the room only to stumble upon a dozing and drooling Marucho...right at the door frame. As he bent down to pick the blonde up, Keith noticed the _skirt _and _jewelery _he was wearing. Apparently, Julie had tried her fancy show on him.

Taking a few more steps while thinking where to dump the small boy, Keith was once again greeted by another out of order sight. In front of him...was the couch...a few feet away from where it should have been...and on it...was Shun...sprawled out, sleeping peacefully. The raven haired teen had mud smears all over his face and arms. And for some odd reason...he was _drenched _in water all over.

Keith cleared his throat, expecting his friend to wake up. But no, the slumber seemed very deep. He caught sight of an equally muddy and soaked Dan scowling at...the clock on the wall. The young boy was wrapped in what Keith recognized as Shun's jacket.

"Dan?" The Darkus brawler made sure to keep his voice low, "What happened?"

The boy was snapped out of his train of thoughts as he regarded the teen, "We get wet...outside!"

"I can see that...you became wet...when you went outside. It's obvious because it's raining." Keith stepped forward, "What I meant was..._what_ were you doing outside? And why is Shun...sleeping while all covered in mud?!"

"Oh...that!" Dan frowned, glancing at Shun, "Runo want to...to...make me dead...and...and put me in ground...I run out to save...and he..." He gestured at the sleeping ninja, "follow and say 'Stop Dan, stop Dan!'...then I stop and we fall on ground...'cause it so wet...and he put his this..." A tug at the black jacket, "...on me...and we come back!"

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose at the boy's tortured language, "Let me translate it in English... Runo wanted to kill and bury you -for some reason-...and you ran outside to save yourself...and Shun followed you. But both of you slipped on the ground slope because of rain...and Shun wrapped you in his jacket...and brought you back. Is that it?"

Dan nodded, beaming proudly, "Yes! And then he say to sit here and become...not wet. And we wait. And he sleep."

"So he told you to wait till you dry off...and fell asleep while waiting." Keith looked at the small boy.

"How you know?!" Dan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Because I'm awesome!" Keith rolled his eyes.

However, before Dan could retort back or Keith could take another step, a scream was heard from Alice's room followed by a crash. The small shriek startled Shun, who woke with a start and fell from the couch. Quickly scrambling to his feet and glaring at the occupants of the room, he finally seemed to catch his bearings.

"What was that?"

"How should I know?" Keith turned worriedly, "Let's go check it out."

The raven haired teen followed and the two entered the little girl's room...only to find it empty...and turned upside down. The glittery pink and blue curtains which hung on the bed posts were ripped, the feathery pillows torn apart, a broken chair present near the bed. The window was wide open.

All that was left...was a shred of white silk night gown.

_**Oh no! What happened to our dear Alice?! Stay tuned to find out! Read and review and guess peeps and suggest her fate! Though it's pretty obvious what happened to her! XP**_

_**Rose out!**_

_**Until next time!**_


	6. Sleepy Memories

_**YO! So sorry for being late! I'm lacking inspiration and my life is hectic! But...know this that I'LL NEVER LEAVE THIS STORY! I always complete one story before moving on to another...never stop or discontinue any story of mine...so don't worry, I'm alive and still writing! **_

_**REPLIES TO GUEST REVIEWERS:**_

_**To Megan: Um...well...sorry miss Megan! Hope it wont happen again! My life just wont give me a break!What do you mean by how many am I planning to write? Do you mean stories? Or chapters of this story? And that's nice to know about Terrah. Haha, hold your doubts bout her royalty! XP**_

_**To Terrah111: Um...well MWAHAHAHAA for Alice...and oh yeah! LOLLIPOPS! XP**_

_**To natalia erica: Well...welcome to the story miss! Uh...sorry. I don't write romance...(though I'll try it some other time if I get any request...but not in this story.) and pairings...just ruin the plot for me. Glad to know you liked it! Enjoy! **_

_**Bakugan Baby Brawlers.**_

_**Chapter 6: Sleepy Memories.**_

"Oh no..." Keith lost his voice.

"What it? Where Alice?" Dan pulled Shun's hand.

The raven haired teen was staring at the messy bed in disbelief as he finally muttered, "Alice..."

…

An orange haired girl was constantly crying, present in a small, dark room.

"Master...she wont stop her bugging!"

"I know..." Wiseman trailed off, "It's all a part of the plan. Now we have to lure the others in our trap as well. But first..." He turned toward the barred door of the cell, "We need to shut her up."

"As you wish, sire."

And the crying came to an abrupt stop.

…

"Any plans Shun?"

Shun glanced at Keith warily, "It's obvious Wiseman is involved here. And he could be anywhere at the moment."

"Hm..." Keith nodded, "We have two options...we can either track him down via blue prints...or take advantage of his attributes..."

"But?" Shun looked up as the Darkus brawler trailed off.

"In any case...we'll have to wait until tomorrow...in the mean time, we can search for him." The blonde teen stood up from his spot, "I'm going in the control room..."

"Sure..." Shun mumbled as he held his head. An untimely migraine was all he needed right now.

"Shun..." Keith patted the teen's shoulder, "Everything is gonna be fine...we'll find her..."

"We have to..." Shun shuddered. Currently, the brawlers were in their most vulnerable state. Who knew what Wiseman was planning against them when they couldn't even defend themselves properly?!

…

Shun sighed as he _escorted_ Runo and Julie to their respective rooms while Keith placed Marucho in his bed. Turning back, the Darkus brawler called, "Shun, tuck Dan in. I'll be in the control room."

Said teen exhaled deeply, "Fine..."

As Shun pulled the caramel colored blanket up to Dan's chin, the small boy grabbed his wrist, "Shun?"

"Yeah?" He looked at the brunette.

"Could you tell me a story?"

Shun was taken aback, "A story?"

"Yes..." Dan nodded, "Story...so I will sleep..."

"Um... I..." The Ventus brawler looked around helplessly.

"Please? You very good..." The child pouted.

"Okay..." Shun sighed in defeat, "Fine... Once... there were two best friends..."

_**FLASHBACK...**_

"_Shun...where are you? Shun?" A raven haired woman called from the kitchen._

"_Coming mom!"_

"_Shun..." The woman knelt in front of her son as he entered, "When was the last time you played with Dan, sweetie?" _

"_Um..." The boy frowned, "Yesterday evening I guess...in the park?", He pondered, "Yeah...in the park...and we ate chocolate chip cookies too." _

"_Hm..." Worry was etched on her face, "Shun...honey, there's something you have to know."_

"_What is it mom?"_

"_This morning, Dan left, saying he was going to show you his new drawing. But...he didn't come here...and Myoko can't find him anywhere."_

_Topaz eyes widened, "Wh-what?"_

_Shiori shook her head sadly, "He could be anywhere. Now...I need you to remember correctly where do you both like to play the most." _

_The young boy thought about it seriously. Park? No... Back yard? No... wait a second... The woods! The woods which stretched from his back yard towards the horizon! _

"_The woods!" _

_And before Shiori could stop her son, the raven haired boy had fled through the window -courtesy of his grandfather's ninja training- and had vanished in an instant._

"_Oh Shun..." The woman could only whisper, "I hope you find him..."_

…

"_Lemme go!" A young brunette pleaded with tearful eyes, "I...I'm a good boy!" _

"_Did you guys hear that?" An older man mocked, "He's a good boy!" _

_The rest of the gang began to laugh, "Good boy!" The woods seemed to echo with their voices, "Good boy! Good boy! Very good!"_

"_I..." The child licked his dry lips, "You can't keep me here! Someone would come for me!"_

"_And who is this 'someone'?" The man bent at the tightly bound boy's level._

"_Sh-Shun..." The boy thought over his words, "Shun will come for me! I know he will! And when he does, all of you will pay!" _

"_Oh really?", The man mused, "I don't think so, kid." _

"_Hey boss, why don't we shut him up for good?" Another man spoke up. _

"_Hm..." The man raised his hand to hit the young face..._

_The wind swished loudly._

_And the man held his hand which was bent at a twisted angle as he whipped his head up to see what had happened...and all he saw were topaz eyes... flaring with suppressed rage as they glared at him hatefully. _

"_Wh-what?! How?" He stuttered._

_Around the same age as the boy he had kidnapped, was another raven haired boy, standing in front of the brunette, glaring at the older angrily. When he spoke, his tone was icy cold, "Raise your hand at him and I'll make sure you have no hands." _

_The whole gang's eyes widened at the threat. _

"_What the hell? What's going on?! Who are you?" The man stood up slowly. _

"_I am Shun. And no one touches Dan while I'm around." That boy was the calm before a storm. _

"_So defiant...aren't you?" The leader smirked, "Spoiled brats..." He had no time to finish his sentence as a punch to his face sent him staggering back, clutching a bloodied, broken nose. _

"_Let's get the hell out of here, Boss! This kid's bad news!" _

"_Get off me!" The man shoved his minions back, "I'll deal with this pest." Something glinted in his hand as he brought it forward._

_Shun eyed the sharp, blood stained blade of the pocket knife carefully. He had to get rid of these people, take Dan and go home. _

_Simple plans...but complex strategies. _

_The man lunged forward. The wind whistled shrilly. Shadows danced in mysterious flashes as the young boy lashed out. _

"_P-please..." present on the ground with the knife against his throat, the man began to tremble, "Please...I...I..."_

_The blade was pressed tighter. Topaz eyes held no emotion but anger and hatred._

"_Shun...stop it, buddy...I'm alright..." The brunette finally got a grip on what was going on...what could happen, "Come on...look at me." _

_Reluctantly, the boy turned to regard his friend, getting off the older man._

"_And you..." Reddish brown eyes turned toward the leader, "Run before he kills you." _

_The man along with his gang escaped, running like there was no tomorrow. _

"_Shun? You okay?" The brunette looked at his best friend as the knife began to cut through his bindings. _

"_D-Dan...I...I..." The boy stared at his hands. He had almost lost control. _

"_Shun..." Dan hugged him tightly, "Thanks for saving me. It's over. Let's go home now." _

_And the two best friends began to walk away from the dark void. _

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Half asleep by now, Dan was listening with his full interest. Though maybe it was the fact that his mind was processing the story slower than usual due to drowsiness, he didn't notice the resemblance the names held.

"So...they home?"

Shun regarded the boy with a small smile, "Yeah..."

"And...and _Dan _no more in rope?"

"No...I fr-...I mean, _Shun _freed him." Shun caught himself. Dan was still taking it as a fictional story.

"It is good story. Me like it!" Dan glanced at the teen with half-closed eyes, "You very good to me. I happy!"

Shun blinked. He had just told a simple memory...had it really meant that much to Dan?, "Dan..."

"Night, night Shun. You sleep here."

The Ventus brawler was taken off guard once more, "What?!"

"You sleep here. And...and no bad dream come to me." The young brunette tried to explain in his limited vocabulary as he yawned.

"Dan...I..."

"Please!" Dan had said it with..._authority_...in a '_no nonsense_' tone.

"Fine..." Shun resigned. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. Keith would've let him know if he had found something.

Dan happily pulled back his covers and patted the small space, "Here!"

Mentally groaning, Shun took off his jacket and lied down, not bothering to make more space for himself to avoid the risk of falling off the single bed in his sleep.

Soon, both occupants of the bed were fast asleep, with Dan's head nestled against Shun's shoulder.

…

"Hm...what's that?" Keith mused to himself as a few symbols appeared on the screen in front of him. Studying them more closely, he blinked, "Could it be..."

Finally having achieved the fruits of his endless researching, the teen had collected some data on Wiseman's whereabouts. Leaving his seat as his stiff neck _popped_, he went to tell the only other person who could be categorized as most sane in the place compared to a bunch of kids.

…

He searched everywhere for his ninja friend. Even outside. But found no sign of him. Thinking back to what they had been doing before, Keith finally remember that he had told Shun to tuck someone in. He decided to check in the bed rooms.

Room one...asleep forms of Runo and Julie...no sight of the Ventus brawler, room two...a drooling but sleeping Marucho...no glimpse of raven hair, room three...Alice's room...empty, room four...Dan sleeping peacefully...a taller someone asleep in the same bed of the same room, room five...wait...pause...reverse...play..._room four...Dan sleeping peacefully...a taller someone asleep in the same bed of the same room... _

"Jeez Shun...you're losing your coolness, man..." Keith muttered under his breath as he saw the two forms sleeping all comfy...with relaxed expressions on their faces.

Going over to the side of the bed, Keith shook the teen's shoulder gently, "Shun? Hey...?"

"Hm..." Topaz eyes opened tiredly as Shun took in his surroundings.

"I've found out where Wiseman is. Come on...get up. Let's go in the living room. I'll show you the map." Keith tapped his shoulder again.

The Ventus brawler sat up slowly, dazed by his fitful sleep. He had been so comfortable but _someone _had to ruin his moment!

Keith smirked from over the map he was holding as Shun trudged in the living room sleepily, one hand holding his jacket.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty!"

Shun glared at the snickering teen from his position, slumped on the couch tiredly. He just wanted to get a good few hours of rest. Sleep sounded so...welcoming.

"Okay...so I've marked the location. We'll have to walk for some distance too. This place has got a lot of caves. Wiseman could be in any one of them for all we know."

"Mhm..."

"And...we're still not sure about where he's keeping Alice. So there's a good chance they both are in separate places. But this is Wiseman, we're talking about. He could be in the same origin as Alice."

"Hm..."

"But there's also the fact that the brawlers depend on us currently. So we'll have to come up with a good plan to manage things. We can't leave them alone...but we can't take them with us either. It'll be too much. We wont be able to fight and baby sit at the same time."

"..."

"Plus...I was thinking... we still need to figure out how to...Shun? Shun?! Are you listening to me? Shun?!" Keith glanced over the map at the lack of response only to find the said teen fast asleep, using his jacket as a blanket and the arm-rest of the couch as the pillow, as he was sprawled over the said piece of furniture.

"The heck?! Here I am, working my head off for you and you're dozing off peacefully?!" Keith glared at the Ventus brawler but of course, it was wasted, seeing that he was fast asleep.

"Oh well..." Keith folded the map, putting it aside, "We'll be leaving in the morning any way."

And moon peeked from outside the window at the two teens inside, resting on opposite couches, fatigue evident on their youthful, handsome faces.

_**Um...well...sorry for being late! Lacking inspiration! But promise, next chap will have ACTION! MWAH MWAH! **_

_**Hope out!**_

_**Until next time!**_


	7. In Enemy's Lair

_**I'M ALIVE! Forgive my late update...peeps. I'm facing a horrid writer's block. T.T But don't worry! I think I've fixed it now! Promise next update would be quicker...coz I've already written the next chapter! And I'll update when I get reviews! So review as much as you can! Nothing more matters for this creature!**_

_**REPLIES TO GUEST REVIEWERS:**_

_**To **__**57R4NG3 N07H1NG: Yo mate! It surprised me that I was still able to read and interpret your review! XP You think I've improved?! I think so too! Ah...your sis did write to me...a sort of good-bye message. Tell her I'm holding the fort for her! XD Stay tuned!**_

_**To Megan: Um...yes...it was one night indeed, miss. I don't want to rush things...that would kinda suck. Uh...I meant for Alice's royalty, not Terrah's! :P Hm...how many chapters? I never plan stories ahead. But I think it wont exceed twenty. **_

_**To Terrah: Haha! Had to throw in that humor! I thought the story was getting too...dry! XP And that story of Shun took me thirteen attempts after I settled down on that one! It was made up indeed...but I'm glad people doubt that! **_

_**Warning: Creepy beginning!**_

_**Bakugan Baby Brawlers.**_

_**Chapter 7: In enemy's lair.**_

"_Rock-a-bye baby...on the tree top..._

_When the...wind blows... the cradle...will rock..._

_When the bow...breaks...the cradle...will...fall..._

_Down...will come the...baby...cradle... and... all..."_

Her voice was low and haunting, as she hugged her knees close to her body and kept singing, the sound accompanied by the occasional sobs bouncing off the cold stone walls and echoing around her, terrifying her even more as it broke in the end.

From a darker corner of her cell...or maybe beyond the bars, outside her cell, echoed another voice,

"_Hush little baby...don't say a word..._

_For your voice...must not be heard..._

_No one can hear what you have to say..._

_I will keep you here if I may..._"

Her eyes widened and she gasped sharply, whimpering as a dark shadow approached her, a cruel smirk playing on the masked face.

…

Topaz eyes were downcast as their owner found himself lost within the voids of his own mind...

_**FLASHBACK...**_

_She was running as fast as her stamina would allow. But it wasn't enough...it never was. And so, turning a corner of the alley sharply to somehow dodge her persuaders, she collided hard with something...or someone, resulting in both of them collapsing on the rough ground. Her startled eyes met wild topaz ones...amber flames dancing within those depths. _

_Quickly getting up to avoid any more embarrassment, she stuttered, "Oh my! I...I'm really sorry, sir...I didn't mean to..."_

_The raven haired stranger blinked, feeling somewhat dazed at the sudden impact. Rising noises in the background of the mysterious girl perked up his interest though, and pushing himself in a sitting position, he let his curiosity take over him for once, "Who are you?"_

"_I..." The girl stopped abruptly as she too, sensed the danger approaching her. Getting to her feet, she gazed at the boy who seemed a bit older than her, "I'm Alice...and that's all I can say right now. I'm sorry...but I have to go."_

_Ever the polite one...she turned, preparing to sprint once again when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Craning her neck to see the obstacle in her way, she was taken off guard when she saw the strange boy's hand holding her wrist._

_Topaz eyes regarded her calmly, "Why are those guys after you?" _

"_I...I can't tell you anything! Please let me go!" She tried to pull her hand out of his grip in vain, "You don't understand!"_

"_Try me." The voice was deep and cool...but had an undertone to it._

_Losing all control on herself, she suddenly began to cry. Whether it was frustration over her helpless situation...or fear of what lied ahead, she just found herself sobbing, "I...let me go...don't hurt me...I...I promise I'll be good..."_

_The boy frowned. What was with this girl?! First she bumped into him only because she was running as if her life depended on it...and then he found out she was escaping from some...dangerous people...and now here she was, bawling her eyes out for nothing! _

"_Um...hey...I have no intention of harming you...I just want to know if you're in danger. I can help you." He tried to console the girl. But he was never too good in heart-to-heart conversations...this was supposed to be the job of a certain brunette...his best friend. _

_The girl was mumbling incoherently now, "I'll never disobey you again...I'll respect you...I'll do whatever you'll say...just don't punish me...I promise I'll never leave my room again...I...I'll be good now..."_

_The boy forgot to breath at the words...what in the world was wrong with her?! He tried to snap her out of her trance, "Hey! Stop it! I said I wont harm you...I don't even know you! You can tell me if you feel insecure. I'll do whatever to help you." _

_The girl jerked her head up as if she was slapped, looking into those hypnotizing amber depths. Dried tear streaks marked her cheeks, making her feel as if a bitter cold was being driven inside her, "You...you'll help me?" _

"_Yes...my name is Shun...and you're my friend now...and no one touches my friends while I'm around." The raven haired boy assured her. _

"_Th-those people...they hurt me. So I ran away...and now they're after me. Please save me..." She clutched his arm in a death grip, pleading. _

"_Okay..." Placing his arm around the girl's waist, the teen bent his legs a bit, preparing to jump. And with a sudden flash, he was gone... along with that girl._

_..._

"_Here Shun..." The fair face had a soft smile, "I'll bandage it for you."_

_The raven haired boy blinked as her touch...gentle as a feather...began to dance over his arm. The cut wasn't deep...that he was sure of. But it seemed like the orange haired girl's healing magic was all he needed. _

"_There...all done." The girl beamed at him proudly. _

_Shun glanced at the carefully tied gauze, "Thanks...Alice." _

"_You're welcome. It's the least I can do in gratitude for your hospitality." She bowed. _

"_It's fine. There's nothing to be grateful for. You were in danger so I had to do something." The teen assured her. _

_Before any of them could say something, an arm thumped his back twice, "Hey Shun! Man, are we celebrating or what?!"_

"_Dan..." Shun shook his head in exasperation._

"_What?! Growing teens need more food. Right miss Malice?!"_

"_Malice?!" Shun raised a brow, "Who the heck is that?!"_

"_I...I'm..." The orange haired girl tried to stop her laughing fit, "I'm just Alice..."_

"_Oh..." Dan threw her a sheepish smile, "Sorry...'just Alice'...Shun told me about you on phone. And the lines were a bit...disturbed because of yesterday's rain so I couldn't quite catch it."_

"_It's alright. Would you like some hot chocolate?"_

"_You bet!" The brunette flashed her a toothy grin. _

"_Dan! Dan! You wouldn't believe it! Oh hey there Shun and Alicia! You guys wouldn't believe it!" A small blonde came running in what the occupants of the room noted as excitement. _

"_What is it, Maruch?" Dan whistled casually._

_Shun rolled his eyes as once again...Alice's name was pronounced wrongly._

"_Um...Alice would suffice." The orange haired girl beamed at the blonde who turned a bit red._

"_Beg your pardon..." He mumbled before remembering what had he been talking about, "So I got this inspiration..."_

"_Uh-oh..." Dan sat a bit straighter, throwing a glance at Shun who sighed. _

"_And it was like some force was pushing me to do it...so I did!" _

"_Do I want to know what exactly did you do this time?!" Dan gazed at the smaller boy intently._

_**(A/N: These ingredients are real! Anyone who guesses which product they belong to will get a reward of choice! Just guess what common solution would these chemicals make. The result of this stuff is used almost daily...every time you...ahem...go to a specific room and the solution is used for only one specific purpose...starts with "S" and ends with "O"...hint hint! ;) ...)**_

"_So I mixed a few chemicals, namely... sodium laureth and lauryl sulphate, glycol distearate, dimethicone, zinc xylenesulfonate, zinc pyrithione, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium benzonate, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium, nitric acid, magnesium hezyle cinnamal, linalool, butylphenyl methylpropional, polyquaternium-76, polynaphthalenesulfonate, methylchloroisothiazolinone, tetra-hydantion...-"_

"_JUST TELL US WHAT IN THE FREAKING WORLD HAPPENED ALREADY!" Dan's chair had tipped off, imbalanced and now he was on the floor, glaring at the blonde. _

_Shun was holding his head, eyes shut tight, uselessly trying to understand what this was all about. Alice's jaw could hit the floor any time now. She had forgotten to breathe, or so it seemed. _

"_THE BEAKER EXPLODED!" Marucho was now jumping up and down hyperly._

_The audience sweat-dropped._

"_Uh...hehe...um..." Marucho shot the others an apologetic smile, "And it changed the shape of the beaker. And it gave out sparks of nice colors...Runo and Julie would love those colors in their wardrobe...and it produced flame of a different sort..."_

"_Just...never mind." Dan exhaled, trying to get his bearings again, "I think my ears just dropped off...after bleeding to death!" _

_Shun shook his head, trying to get rid of the head-ache. All those mangled terms had got stuck in his mind._

"_I..." Alice finally composed herself, "I'll go prepare the hot chocolate!" _

_And that's how the merry group ended up in front of the T.V, watching a movie and enjoying snacks. _

…

"But Shun! This is a _stupid _plan!" Keith banged his head on the table in front of him after his another failed attempt at convincing the ninja.

"It's a plan never-the-less." The teen was way too calm.

"You call it a plan?! It's...-"

"We don't have any other option, Keith." Shun looked into the blonde's eyes, "We have to do it."

"It's too risky..." Keith protested again as Shun stood up.

"I don't care. No one harms my friends when I'm around."

Keith sighed, allowing himself to be dragged by the Ventus brawler towards the main double doors leading to the wild outland, "You know Shun, you're the most stubborn person I've ever met! Stubborn... and headstrong!"

"I take pride in it."

…

Shun was about to step into the portal when a small figure came running out of the large door, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Dan?" Keith looked at the young boy, "What are you doing here? I thought everyone was asleep."

"I want to go too..." The small brunette yawned before looking at the raven haired teen, "I go with you!"

"Uh...you can't go Dan. It's dangerous." Shun glanced at his young friend warmly.

"But...but...I help too!"

"You are helping...by staying behind. Take care of the other brawlers while I'm away. And _help _Keith in...whatever he does!" The teen knelt before the young boy.

"Oh..." Dan stuck out his lower lip, pouting, "But no go without good-bye."

Topaz eyes blinked, "Huh?"

"Don't go...we say bye-bye first."

"Um..."

Small arms found their way around the raven haired teen's neck as Dan hugged him, "Be back...quick. I miss you."

Shun felt like his voice was getting blocked, "I...I'll try my best to return soon."

"No try...just come back." The brunette mumbled in his jacket.

"Okay. I'll be back."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"When you back, I wanna show you a thing."

"What thing?"

"Some thing."

"Alright." Shun took a deep breath and after giving the boy a gentle squeeze, he stood up.

Keith stepped forward and the two locked hands as he stared in topaz eyes, "Stay safe."

The ninja smiled, "Take care."

Bidding farewell was never easy. But it had to be done. The bitter-sweet pain had to be experienced. Otherwise, it could turn into a burdening guilt for an entire lifetime.

Preparing himself mentally, Shun stepped into the portal, a new-found determination reflecting in his eyes.

…

_**Hm...should I stop?! But since I'm updating after so long...maybe I should go on! XP**_

…

Shun stumbled out of the now closing portal. Looking around, the teen found himself in a rocky, barren place. Keith had already told him what the place was like, so it was nothing unexpected.

"Hm...now what?" The Ventus brawler mused to himself, thinking out loud.

Looking ahead, he could see the hills Keith had mentioned in the maps. Those hills were bound to have caves. This persuasion made the teen start walking.

…

"My, my...look at that..." The masked form smirked menacingly from the darkness. The large screen in front of him was glowing. Different stats were being calculated in the corner but what amused the man was the figure displayed on the screen. Topaz eyes scanning the premises.

"Master...do you wish for us to dispose him off?"

"Hm...but where would be the fun in doing so? They don't call me Wiseman for nothing..." The man came out of the shadows.

"So...what do we do, sire?"

"We welcome him...like the good hosts we are." He began to laugh mirthlessly, "Let's go."

…

Shun sighed as he came out of cave number fifty-three. The place had so many caves to hide in! Wiseman could be anywhere. He was suddenly caught off-guard as a whirring noise appeared behind him. Dodging just in time, the teen was able to narrowly avoid being hit by a curved blade, albeit the fact that it grazed his cheek.

Wincing from the stinging pain, the Ventus brawler looked up only to find Wiseman standing there on a few feet high boulder.

"Hello..._dear _Shun...missed me?"

"Quit the theatrics. Where's Alice?" Shun glared at the man.

"Finders, keepers." Wiseman jumped down to stand in front of the ninja, "She's such a sweet, little girl."

"What do you want?"

"I should be asking the same to you Shun...because you're the one who's standing in my premises." Wiseman smirked.

"Let her go, Wiseman. She's got nothing to do with it." Shun admitted to himself, he was never good at the game of words.

"You know what, Shun? When you're in enemy's lair...not even the ground can be trusted."

"What's...-"

Shun was cut off short when all of a sudden, a clawed hand broke the ground's surface, grabbing the teen's ankle in a vice grip. Electric sparks shot out from the hand, engulfing it's prey. A pained scream echoed in the air.

And then there was nothing.

_**There! You had it! Promise, next chap would come up quick...as long as you review! I've already have it written! Mwahaahahahaa! **_

_**Hope out!**_

_**Until next time! :)**_


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